Electrical connector



Oct. 5, W48. E. A. SPRIGG 2,450,528

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Dec. 18, 1944 m m N 2N IIH ".m lll FIGJ.

INVENTOR.

EDWARD A. SPRIGG ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 5, 1948 announcer. commonEdward A. Sprigg, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to H. H.

Buggie & Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corpora-' tion of Ohio ApplicationDecember 18, 1944, Serial No. 568,720

The invention relates to electrical connectors for connecting anelectrically operable element to a source of electrical'energy.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide an improvedelectrical connector which is constructed to have an eflective water andair seal.

The invention has for other objects to construct the electricalconnector with the sealing member bonded to the electrical contacts ofthe electrical connector and also to construct the electrical conductor.with the sealing member displaced into tight engagement with the shellof the electrical connector.

The invention has for a further object to provide an improved means formounting the ele trical connector.

With these as well as other objects in view, the invention resides inthe novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements ofparts as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an end view of the electrical connector embodying theinvention;

Figure 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

The electrical connector comprises the metal shell I, the insulator body2, the sealin device 3, the pressure device 4, and the electricalcontacts 5, the insulator body, sealing device and pressure device beinglocated within the shell.

The shell has the externally threaded end portions 5 and l, the internalannular flange 8 and the external annular flange 9. The internal annularflange provides the shoulders l and II which are spaced from each otherlongitudinally of the shell. The insulator body is in the nature of aplate and is formed with the holes I! extending longitudinallytherethrough for receiving the electrical contacts 5. The insulator bodyalso has the annular flange I! for overlying and engaging the annularshoulder In of the shell and the beveled surface It extending from theedge of the annular flange; I The annular flange I3 is preferablyprovided with an opening to receive the positioning pin l5 located inthe internal annular flange 8.

The sealing device comprises the yieldable sealing member l8 and theinsulator pressure plate H, the sealing member being preferably formedof synthetic rubber. The sealing member has a plate-like body portion atone side of the pressure plate I1 and engageable with the insulator body2 and also has an annular flange portion encircling the pressure platel1 and terminating in the 7 Claims. (Cl. 174-77) enlargement I 8 locatedwithin the annular recess I 9 at the periphery of the pressure plate.The pressure plate is formed with transverse holes in axial alignmentwith the holes l2 of the insulator body 2 to receive the electricalcontacts 5., The sealing member [6 tightlyencircles and is bonded to theelectrical contacts around their peripheries. The sealing member isbonded to the pressure plate to form the sealin unit, the bonding inboth instances being effected as by vulcanizing the sealing member tothe electrical contacts and pressure plate in a mold.

The pressure device 4 comprises the metal pressure ring 20 and the metalfollower ring 2| abutting the pressure ring and externallly threaded toengage the internal threads 22 of the end portion 1 of the shell. Thepressure rin preferably has a rounded face engaging the enlargement l8.The end portion 1 at the inner end of the internal threads 22 isprovided with the internal annular recess 23 between the shell and thelower unbeveled edge of backing plate ll.

As shown in the present instance, the electrical contacts 5 are contactpins and they have the enlarged portions '24 and 25 located at the endsof the portions of the sealing member is which are bonded to the contactpins.

The end portion 6 of the shell is preferably provided with one or morepins 26 forming in effect a key for engagement with a keyway in theelectrical element to be inserted into the end portlon whereby thecontacts of the electrical element will properly engage the contactpins.

.The external annular flange 9 of the shell is used in clamping theelectrical connector to the mounting plate 21 and this flange is formedwith the annular serrations or teeth 28 which are imbedded in theyieldable sealing member 29 preferably formed of synthetic rubber. Ihave also preferably provided the pin 30 which extends transversely fromthe annular flange 9 through the sealin member and into a hole in themounting plate, thispin serving to properly position the electricalconnector on the mounting plate. Si is a clamping nut threaded upon theend portion '6 of the shell and abutting the mountin plate 21 andserving to effectively clamp the electrical connector to the mountingplate, at which time the yieldable sealing member forms an effectiveseal.

The construction of the electrical connector is such that after theinsulator body 2, the sealing device 3 and the pressure device 4 havebeen inserted into the shell l and the follower ring 2! of the pressuredevice is tightened down, it exerts through the pressure ring 20 of thepressure device pressure directly upon the enlargement I I of theyieldable sealing member it and indirectly upon the pressure plate 11.As a result, the body portion of the sealing member i is urged firmlyagainst the insulator body 2 and the annular shoulder II and theadjacent cylindrical face of the shell. Also the annular enlargement llof the sealing member I6 is displaced to compel an additional portionthereof to enter the internal annular recess 23 in the shell and also tocompel the adjacent portion of the annular enlargement to tightly engagethe adjacent threads 22. It will thus be seen that an eirective waterand air seal is provided since the sealing device tightly engages theshell and is bonded to the contact pins passing therethrough.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An electrical connector comprising a shell, a body within said shellhaving a hole extending therethrough longitudinally of said shell, asealing device within said shell comprising a pressure plate and ayieldable sealing member bonded to said plate, said sealing memberhaving a body portion at one side oi,the plate and an annular flangeportion encircling said plate and terminating in an annular enlargement,an electrical contact extending within the hole in said body and throughsaid pressure plate and sealing member and bonded around its peripheryto said sealing member, and means within said shell exerting pressureupon said enlargement to hold said sealing member against said body andto displace said sealing member into tight engagement with said shell.

2. An electrical connector comprising a shell. a body within said shellhaving a hole extending therethrough longitudinally of said shell, asealing device within said shell comprising a. pressure plate and ayieldable sealing member bonded to said plate, said sealing memberhaving a body portion at one side of said plate and an annular flangeportion encircling said plate and terminating in an annular enlargement,an electrical contact extendin within the hole in said body and throughsaid plate and sealing member and bonded to said sealing member, andmeans within said shell engaging said annular enlargement and exertingpressure upon said plate to displace said enlargement into tightengagement with said shell.

3. An electrical connector comprising a shell having an internal annulargroove, a body within said shell having a hole extending therethroughlongitudinally of said shell, a sealing device within said shellcomprising a pressure plate and a yieldable sealing member bonded tosaid plate, said sealing member having a body portion at one side ofsaid plate and an annular flange portion encircling said plate andterminating in an annular enlargement, a contact member extending withinthe hole in said body and through said plate and sealing member andbonded to said sealing member, and means within said shell engaging saidannular enlargement and exerting pressure upon said plate to hold saidbody portion of said sealing member against said body and to displacesaid body portion into tight engagement with said shell and said annularenlargement into said annular groove.

4. In an electrical connector comprising a shell, 2. body within saidshell, a sealing device within exert pressure upon said plate to holdsaid sealing member against said body and said shell.

5. An electrical connector comprising a shell,

a body within said shell, a sealing device within said shell comprisinga pressure plate and a yieldable sealing member bonded to said plate.said sealing member having a body portion at one side of said plate andan annular flange portion encircling said plate and terminating in anannular enlargement, an electrical contact extending through and bondedto said sealing device, and means within said shell engaging saidannular enlargement to displace the annular enlargement into tightengagement with said shell and said plate and to exert pressure uponsaid plate to hold said sealing member against said body and said shell.

6. An electrical connector comprising a shell,

a body within said shell, a sealing device within said shell andengaging said body, said sealing device comprising a pressure plate anda yieldable sealing member having a body portion at one side of theplate and an annular flange portion encircling said plate andterminating in an annular enlargement, an electrical contact extendingthrough and bonded to said sealing member, and means within said shellexerting pressure upon said enlargement to hold said sealing memberagainst said body and to displace said sealing member into tightengagement with said shell.

7. An electrical connector comprising a shell, 9. body within saidshell, a sealing device within said shell and engaging said body, saidsealing device comprising a pressure plate and a yieldable sealingmember having a body portion at one side of the plate and an annularflange portion encircling said plate and terminating in an annularenlargement, an electrical contact extending through and bonded to saidsealing member. and means within said shell exerting pressure upon saidenlargement to hold said sealing member against said body, said bodyhaving a beveled portion engaging said sealing memberassisting indisplacing said sealing member into tight engagement withsaid shell.

EDWARD A. SPRIGG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,001,365 Dayton Aug. 22, 19111,734,727 Herold Nov. 5, 1929 2,126,002 Gardner Aug. 9, 1938 2,132,796Money Oct. 11, 1938 2,265,341 Borchert Dec. 9, 1941 2,289,164 ArnoldJuly 7, 1942 2,383,926 White Aug. 28, 1945 2,397,097 Forbes Mar. 26,1946

